It’s easy to feel disheartened as a writer. You compare yourself to other writers, and you feel as though you’re lacking, somehow. No matter what, though, you can be a great writer. Here are some tips to help you boost your confidence in what you do.

Stop the self-sabotage

“The reason 99% of all stories written are not bought by editors is very simple. Editors never buy manuscripts that are left on the closet shelf at home.”– John Campbell

Everyone’s done it. They put writing off, or send off work that they know is subpar. When they don’t get the work done, or they get rejected, they say ‘it’s because I’m not good enough.’ In fact, you are good enough, you just need to put the effort in. Put in the hours and only publish your best work.

Analyze your writing activities

“To be a writer is to sit down at one’s desk in the chill portion of every day, and to write; not waiting for the little jet of the blue flame of genius to start from the breastbone – just plain going at it, in pain and delight.“– John Hersey

If you feel as though you’re not getting anywhere with your writing, you may need to examine how you’re writing. Track how much time you spend writing, what’s happening around you as you write, and how much you get written. You may find that your environment is affecting your writing, or that you’re writing at the wrong time of day. If you go ahead with this, try Easy Word Count as a good way of tracking your output.

Ignore your inner critic

“I am irritated by my own writing. I am like a violinist whose ear is true, but whose fingers refuse to reproduce precisely the sound he hears within.”– Gustave Flaubert

Everyone has a critic that lives in their head, telling them that their writing just isn’t good enough. When you listen to that voice, it sap your confidence and energy. How can you get any writing done when you’re listening to it? When it starts up, try telling it ‘This may not be the best thing I’ve ever written, but I made it and that’s good enough.’ Soon enough, you’ll find it’s much easier to ignore that negative voice.

Use rejection as a stepping stone to better writing

“Engrave this in your brain: Every writer gets rejected. You will be no different.”– John Scalzi

Getting a rejection letter is a real blow to your confidence as a writer. However, you can turn it around and use it to increase the quality of your work. For example, if you’ve been rejected for typos or other errors, use it as a chance to tighten up your proofreading skills. If you need some help, try getting in touch with the time-savers, for example, UK Writings proofreaders.

Try something new

“You know how creative people are, we have to try everything until we find our niche.” – E.A. Bucchianeri

If you’re stuck in a rut, it’s easy to think that you’re never going to make it as a writer. In fact, all you need to do is try something different. If you normally write prose, try your hand at poetry. If you normally blog, try writing a longer form piece. Whatever you do, switch it up. You may discover a talent you never knew you had.

Ensure none of your work is plagiarized

“When you take stuff from one writer, it’s plagiarism; but when you take it from many writers, it’s research.”– William Mizner

Obviously, you’re never going to take someone else’s work and pass it off as your own, but you may be heavily inspired by someone’s writing. A lot of time, plagiarism charges are laid at writers who didn’t even know they’d done it. To remove the threat of this happening, run your writing through plagiarism detectors such as the ones at Plagium or Academized.

Don’t compare yourself to others

“It took me fifteen years to discover I had no talent for writing, but I couldn’t give it up because by that time I was too famous.”– Robert Benchley

Finally, don’t worry about what other people are doing. It’s hard, as you have to read to be a good writer. When you’re reading, it’s easy to think ‘I’ll never be as good as they are’ or ‘I could never describe that in such a vivid way.’ When you do this, you’re doing down your own writing. Instead, recognise that every writer is different, and they’re all loved for different reasons.

You can make it as a writer, all it takes is a bit of confidence. Use these tips the next time you’re wobbling, and you’ll soon find reasons to love your work again.